Sure, there's the "Post a picture of your pet" thread, but this thread can be used for questions/comments/other discussions about our pets.
My dogs' foster mom had said, after I told them that they were eating grass, that they do that if they're nervous or anxious. It's expected that they're nervous, since we just got them. Well, when I brought them outside today, Harry was eating some kind of grass/plant life that was growing along the fence. He recently threw that up. He seems healthy, but it was scary.
And, he loves food. I originally had moved their Milkbones to a cabinet, but they're hound dogs- they can sniff things out. So, I put them back to their original spot (on the shelf above their bowls). But, that's all he ever wants. So, I moved them to the counter, and he isn't obsessing over it for now.
Yesterday, Sally was pretty good about eating her breakfast, but Harry wasn't- I ended up putting a kibble on his mat, and he'd eat that, so I gave him another. But that only went so far. He eventually ate a little out of the bowl, but not much. When we were eating supper, we put a few of our peas in their bowls, and they ate up the peas and their kibble. They've eaten grass today, but only a few kibbles. I gave them each part of a Milkbone, and then a little piece of a Beggin' Strip (Harry ate both the pieces I ripped off, but one was for Sally, so I gave her another, but Harry still ate 2... ). I thought about buying some cans of wet food and mixing just a little of that in with their kibbles, so they'll eat it, but Bobby thinks that they'll always want the wet food- I don't see how it'll hurt if we give them just a little wet food to make them eat their kibble. Or, I'm thinking about opening a can of vegetables, and putting a few pieces of peas or corn or green beans in their dishes, so that they'll eat.
It's hard. Harry had been barking when I wouldn't give him another Milkbone, and he just barked and barked. I'm glad I moved them, because he's fine now. I just wish they'd eat their food (it's the same exact kind that their foster parents would feed them- that's why we bought it). I wonder if they're just not used to eating out of their new bowls?
On the upside, I put on "The Fox and the Hound" for them to watch- the first time it played, they barked at the beginning of the movie (I guess they thought that they heard real dogs), so I turned the volume down. Then, they either slept or threw up grass, so they didn't watch much. But, now he's happily on the couch and she's happily in the chair, watching the movie! Yay! (edit- I think they like the catepillar the best...I don't think they're as interested when he's not on screen...)
Also, their foster mom has not returned our call (we called her Saturday evening, asking about if Harry is usually that unhappy when he gets his nails cut). I called our adoption coordinator (as Bobby did yesterday), and we just get her answering machine. It's frustrating, since we still have questions to ask (or sometimes we just need reassurance that throwing up grass is normal...). We know that we'll take them to the vet inside of PetSmart, but we only went there to see if they could finish cutting Harry's nails (they couldn't, but they tried), and I wonder if I should call them and ask questions (even though they haven't examined Harry & Sally yet...?).
(edit) My friend just called me back- she said that I shouldn't put the veggies in the bowl now- they don't need to eat every few hours like a humans, and they won't starve themselves. She said that later I should put some kibbles in my hand and see if they'll eat out of my hand...
They're napping now. Apparently Tod & Copper bore them...?
blackcauldron85 wrote:
I thought about buying some cans of wet food and mixing just a little of that in with their kibbles, so they'll eat it, but Bobby thinks that they'll always want the wet food- I don't see how it'll hurt if we give them just a little wet food to make them eat their kibble.
Bobby is right, once they get a taste of can food, they lose interest in dry food. And don't think you can get away with mixing both dry and wet food together, Harry sounds intelligent, and he will pick out the can food and leave the dry. Harry also sounds like a dog that likes to graze on his food through out the day, it's perfectly normal. Some dogs just don't like to eat all their food in one sitting. More than likely, he is holding out for more treats, try not to give in, when he gets hungary he will give into the dry food. He won't starve, as long as there is food in his bowl.
Treats- be careful not to give more than two or three a day. Dog treats are exactly what the name suggest, it's a treat not a meal. A lot of people forget that, and then wonder why their dog is overweight. I like to compare dog treats to candy bars: too many dog treats for a dog is like too many candy bars for a human. The less treats, the better. Also watch giving them soft treats, they are bad for their teeth.
I wouldn't worry about them eating grass, that is normal behavior for a dog. Since you are a first time dog owner, you might want to go to the library and check out one of those dog owner's books.
If you can buy it at your local grocery story or Walmart....its crap. Total crap.
Pay attention to the ingredients!!! If it lists "Whole Ground Corn" in the top 5 ingredients, you might as well feed your pets squirrel food. Dogs and cats are carnivores. Think about their wild cousins. Do wolves and tigers raid corn fields and munch to their hearts' content? Of course not. Carnivores get plant nutrients from the herbivores they eat. And corn is not good for them at all. It has little nutritional content. So why do so many pet food companies add corn as their main ingredient?
$$$$$$$$$$$$
Corn is a cheap filler. And that's all it is, filler. In lab tests on rats, scientists discovered rats which ate a high corn content diet were much more likely to develop cancerous tumors. While rats that ate a more natural diet of fruit, veggies, seeds, and nuts had a far smaller rate of cancer. The same tests have no been preformed on dogs and cats, but I feel in a controlled environment like a lab, we'd see the same result as the rats. I know from working in an animal hospital, when I asked clients who dogs and cats had cancer what brand of food they were eating, the main ones listed were Pedigree, Science Diet, Iams, Kibbles n' Bits, and Old Roy.
That's not to say cancer can't come from other areas of course, but it seems corn diet can be linked to a higher likelihood of developing cancer.
Choose a dog/cat food that lists meat FIRST. NOT by-products. By-products are everything WE won't eat. Beaks, bones, sexual organs, eyeballs, brain, intestines, bowels, etc. THAT is what by-products is.
Another good alternative is the BARF diet. BARF stands for Bones And Raw Foods. They now make a BARF diet you can buy at some pet stores, they are frozen and look like hamburger patties. I highly recommend them for dogs with allergies. They work much better than normal dry food diets.
Safe/good pet food brands:
Nutro (Max, Natural Choice, and Ultra)
Natural Balance (has three lines made just for dogs with allergies)
Merrick (great for picky dogs)
Fromm (great for picky dogs/cats)
Innova/Evo (great food for agility and muscle-built dogs like pit bulls)
Canidae (great food for agility and muscle-built dogs like pit bulls)
Wellness (holistic and all natural)
Nature's Variety (close to a BARF/raw diet in dry form)
Solid Gold
Pinnacle
Purina and Iams have both been under several investigations for their cruelty to beagles they use in tests. People thin dogs in dog food experiments have it good, they don't. And their tests procedures are much to be desired.
Also, here is the full list of ingredients for Purina One Weight Control
What I bold typed is BAD for your dog. Wheat? Corn? What real dog eats this? If a domestic dog was left to fend on its own, would it go raid wheat and corn fields? Dogs WILL eat some types of plant matter, like potatoes, carrots, apples, etc. But no dog should have that much corn and wheat. And it has by products. And worst of of, animal digest. Animal digest is, hair, horns, teeth, hooves and feathers. Again, total filler.
Also depending on the company "animal digest" is a very general wording. Animal digest could be the meat, fur, bones, etc of any of these animals: goats, pigs, horses, rats, euthanized at animal shelters, restaurant and supermarket refuse. These animals that are sold to pet food plants are generally diseased, dying, disabled, or dead before making it to the slaughterhouse. The FDA does not allow these animals to be served to humans, so slaughterhouses sell the meat for a cheaper price to pet food plants. The rats get in there simply from disgusting conditions and they get trapped in the mass of bodies of the other slaughtered animals. FDA did a huge crackdown on Iams and Purina because FDA found the remains of DOGS in the DOG FOOD. Apparently they never learned how mad cow started, by cows eating cows. Cannibalism can cause brain damage in any mammal, that was otherwise not evolved to be a cannibal. So dogs eating dog meat? That is asking for trouble. Frankly letting your dogs eat dirt is healthier than Purina or Iams. There is a reason why Purina and Iams became available at regular supermarkets, they were suffering. Many pet stores cut out those lines because of the controversy and investigations. Because of their practices and the deaths of many dogs. The only way they could salvage themselves was to lower their prices and sell at supermarkets.
I switched my dogs to Nutro and my cat's to Wellness. They eat less. Why? Because the food is full on nutritional meat, with SUPPLEMENTED veggies and fruits. Not corn with supplements meat by product. So they get so much nutrition it keeps their bellies full so they don't need to keep going back to the food bowl. I like to feed my dogs and cats a more natural diet. I noticed when I did, their coats got much nicer, as did their skin. They don't get any skin problems. They are all active, the food digests well (no runny bowels) and my dogs shed less.
I just checked- it's Purina One Healthy Weight Forumla (I didn't look before I typed the first time). Turkey is the first ingredient, and it probably does have that other stuff in it...all I know is that this is what their foster family fed them...We always could ween them off of this and get them new food, though. We bought their food at PetSmart.
The next time we go to PetSmart I could check out some other food there...how would they be if we just switched their food? Would they notice? Would we have to mix part of their old food in with their new food?
For 2 days, feed 75% old food and 25% new food
For the next 2 days, feed 50/50
For the last 2 days, feed 75% new food and 25% old food
After those last two days, you can start with 100% new food. If you try to switch too quick you will cause the dogs to have runny bowels. Reason being the foods I mentioned are very rich in content. You are switching them from a bland diet to something rich and it should be done over a period of time. Eventually their stomachs will adjust to the new food. When I adopted my dogs and cat, they were eating Science Diet. I switched them to Nutro using that and they did just fine. And the other cat, the Persian, I got her from a lady who was feeding her Iams. She told me she didn't know why Lace wasn't growing in a fuller Persian coat, her fur was very thin. A month after switching her to Wellness, she developed her Persian coat. I didn't believe food was that big of a deal till I started working at the Humane Society. The local pet shop (that I work for now) donated a bunch of food. We fed the good food to dogs with mange and other skin problems. One was a red nosed pit named Tyson. If you touched him, he would bleed, that was how severe his skin problems were. And he was so sweet, but no one wanted to adopt him because of how he looked. He looked like a well-worn fighting dog. We fed him Natural Balance Venison and Rice Formula for 2 months. And his skin cleared up by 97%. He had 2 patches of bad skin when we adopted him out. I told his new owner to always keep him on that food and I still see him coming by to get a big bag of it every few weeks.
I sent an email out to some of my friends who are pet owners, and I figured that I'd get your feedback. Here's the important parts of the email:
Hi everyone! Long story short, I have seen the little boy next door feed Harry things before, and I have told the boy no. Right now, his mom and grandfather (or whoever they are) were out there with the little boy. I was taking a nap, and Bobby was doing yard work. I heard a lot of barking, and I didn't know that Bobby was outside. I don't trust the boy next door, and when I'm home without Bobby, I usually have been keeping the dogs on their leashes, with the other end of the leash on the back door, so they can't wander over to the fence between our houses. Bobby doesn't usually do that. He wasn't paying attention to what was going on. I was already upset that my nap was interrupted, and I went over, saw that the boy was feeding Harry something, and told him no. His mom (if that's who she is) said that he was feeding them candy, like it was a normal thing for a boy to feed his neighbor's dog). I then said, kind of to the adults and the boy, that that wasn't the first time that I had seen him feed the dog, and for him to never feed our dogs. I could've been nicer about it- it honestly makes me livid that he does it in the first place (they themselves have birds and rabbits, so I would think that a fellow pet owner would know not to feed someone else's pets), and the fact that his guardians were there not doing anything about it made me extra pissed off. Bobby was in the shed, and I was like, "Don't you care, they don't give a **** about it," etc. And then I had gone inside, taking the dogs by their collars to make them come. Bobby then had come inside, and I was still yelling and maybe swearing a little, and he told me to be quiet, how he doesn't like conflict, etc. I already don't trust people, especially our neighbors (mainly due to the little boy)...anyway, I know that they heard me outside talking with Bobby, and chances are that they heard me inside. I don't really care too much anymore, because that was the straw that broke the camel's back, so to speak, with me. I'm just fed up with the kid doing that after repeatedly being told not to. I know that he's little, but you'd think that the adults would watch him; when the adults do watch him, they didn't even care. Bobby had apologized to them, and I guess they said that they'd make sure that it doesn't happen again. I can't trust that, since they don't always watch the kid.
I don't really trust people I don't know. So, even regardless of not being able to trust their word that the kid will never do it again (it's not like the kid told me that, and even if he did say that, kids lie), I don't know these people well at all. Are they going to call the police the next time our dogs are barking a lot and complain about the noise? Just worst-case-scenarios are playing in my mind...If their rabbits get sick, will they blame us? Maybe they're understanding about my reaction, that I don't want my dogs to get sick. Bobby said that he doesn't even know if his dad would know not to feed a dog candy (which I doubt, since his dad has had dogs for a long time). I just don't want the neighbors to get mad at us over nothing...like, I don't want them to retaliate against us for things we aren't doing. Like, if they called the neighbors because of loud noise levels due to the dogs (which I hope won't happen, and most of me thinks won't happen, but again, I don't know how they feel or anything), that would be stupid...they're louder than we are, what with their parties and stuff. I'm just worried that they might not be nice people and will do something. I'm hoping that they are nice people. Maybe if I can see what their house number is, I could write them a letter (so I don't get heated again), and just explain nicely...I don't know. Another worst-case-scenario in my mind is them calling animal services and claiming that we abuse the dogs...since I took their collars and yelled at them to get in...I mean, you all know that we're not cruel to them- we don't even hit them. But I don't want them doing something out of spite, you know? I had told Bobby a while ago that I would like to have some sort of fence-in-a-fence or barricade, so the dogs just can't go over to that part of the fence. He always just brushed that off. Maybe you could tell me that I should've just gone to the Home Depot myself and done it...I don't do the yardwork or anything- Bobby's does- but maybe I should have gone out. Unfortunately, I didn't. I also told Bobby not to let them out loose in the yard anymore- always have their leashes on. He was out there putting more posts in the ground over on the other side of the gate, where the gate opens. It sucks to have a nice fenced-in yard and not allow the dogs to utilize it due to the boy next door possibly feeding them (if he was feeding them dog buscuits, or even broccoli or something, then I would still be upset but I'd be less mad. I don't even know if the candy he feeds them is chocolate, or what he has fed them [them either almost always or always meaning Harry] previously). Hopefully Bobby and I can go to the Home Depot or Lowe's or wherever this weekend and buy something to prevent them from going over there, whether it's just posts, or what (it's not like we're going to get a whole new fence...that would be ideal in my mind, to reduce them running away, too, but that would be much too expensive).
(side note to what I had written a bit up) Harry has been barking a lot since I brought him in, probably sad that I shortened his snack! I hope the neighbors aren't thinking that we're beating him or something. I'm just nervous since I don't know if they're mad at me or anything...
Love thy neighbor. I know that I've written about this before (to the group or individuals, though, I don't remember). I know that "love thy neighbor" also means people who aren't your physical neighbor, too. But just focusing on the actual neighbor part: I do love the old couple that lives on the one side of us- they are wonderful people, and we even visited the lady in the hospital yesterday (she's been having heart irregularities, but couldn't tell- she felt fine the whole time, and I think it was just a routine doctor's appointment that found out that her heart was irregular, so she'll be having a pacemaker put in on Monday). When we got the house, there was not anyone living in the house on the other side. I was happy about that for the most part- I mean, I wouldn't have minded nice people in there...there were squatters living there at night, I guess, sometimes, and that didn't make us feel safe or anything, but still. If there were people in that house as nice as our other neighbors, I would be grateful! We don't really know these people- they've never managed to make an effort to get to know us, and ditto for us to get to know them. When we were having car problems, the 2 men (the boy's grandfather & father, I guess) did come over to our yard and they offered to help us, but we didn't need their help. So, I don't think that they're horrible people. If a nice family lived there who didn't feed my dogs, that'd be cool. Our houses are very close together, and even with the windows shut, if they have people over, we can hear the people talking and the music, just the noise. Which is something that you probably just have to deal with when the homes are so close together- it's not something I grew up with, since homes are not so close together back in my town in MA. But, anyhoo...if I liked the people more, than I wouldn't mind as much, maybe.
Breaking news: I just asked Bobby if he is willing to go to Home Depot or Lowes with me, and he said no. I asked if it was okay for me to go and purchase some supplied to barricade that part of the yard, and he said no. I then said are you willing to only let the dogs outside if their leashes are on them and secured to the door, and he said yes, except for when he's really watching them. I'm okay with this, in the sense that at least I won't have to worry about the neighbor boy feeding them. But it still sucks to have this yard that the dogs can't fully use. But not all of you have a fenced-in yard where the animals can roam, so it's not a huge deal, and I'd rather have them be secured on the leash than nothing at al, so I'm glad that Bobby has agreed to that.
Would you allow your dogs to wander in your backyard without being secured on their leash, knowing that even though the adults said that it wouldn't happen again, it honestly could, since they don't always watch the kid? Would you just risk it? Or, would you not let the dogs use the nice fenced-in yard unless we're constantly watching them? Before, when they would just be out there, I would periodicaly check on the dogs. (I wrote this paragraph after most of the previous paragraph, so it kind of applies now, but kind of doesn't...I don't know).
Bobby isn't being supportive in this- he seems to be more worried about not offending the neighbors than how I feel right now, which is a mix of anger and sadness. I am still upset at the fact that the boy thinks it's okay to feed a dog (I mean, I know that he's little, but it still upsets me), and more so at the fact that the adults did not immediately tell him to stop. The fact that the lady was telling me "He's feeding him candy" and that seemed okay with her boggles my mind. Maybe they have never had dogs and maybe have never learned anything about interracting with the dogs, I don't know. I know that a while ago (a few months ago, a year ago, I don't know), the grandfather asked me, while the dogs were with me at that part of the fence, if the dogs bite, and I said no. Which is very true. If they were provoked, however, they probably would bite. Like any dog. I hope that he doesn't remember that and, if the dogs do get over to that part of the fence (which we're not planning anymore), that he doesn't provoke the dogs or lie about it or something.
I know that, since I'm complaining about the adults not watching their kid, that I should be saying that I should have constantly been watching the dogs. That could be true, but a) I was sleeping and the dogs were inside (well, Sally was still inside until I went outside) when I fell asleep, and b) Bobby was outside, but not watching them. So, I did not even know that Harry was outside until I heard the barking, which always makes me paranoid, mostly due to the fact that I think that the boy is feeding him when he's not secured on his leash and he is outside. Which is what happened again today.
So, do any of you have any advice? What would you have done or what would you do if you were in my situation?
*edit*
I just emailed this to my friends, and figured that I'd add it here, since it's relevant:
Hi again- just a side note- Bobby said that he doesn't want a barricade of any sort because he doesn't want to seem "rude". I'll just leave it at that.
I wouldn't write them a letter or anything. But if you catch the kid feeding the dogs again, I would definitley make sure to let the neighbors know that if it continues, there will be trouble.
To be honest, I sometimes get the feeling that I care for my three cats a little too much, especially my older cat Garfield.
Today, he managed to get out of the house, so I followed him into the neighbor's yard and was able to catch him. He was very upset so he put his claws on me like there was no tomorrow.
My dad thinks that I am obsessed and too strict with him. But...
- Garfield doesn't have his shots, meaning that he could get any disease, especially rabies, from other characters
- He hasn't been neutered yet, so I don't want him creating more stray kittens
I understand your frustration, Amy, I had dog/kid problems over the summer. The house next door to mine became vacant, and the kids from the other side of it started playing there unsupervised. My dogs would bark at the kids, and instead of the kids going on or ignoring the dogs, they decided it would be a good idea to aggitate my dogs. Luckily, it was my day off, so I was home when the kids were around to prevent a serious accident. My Belle is a biter (she has unsuccessfully tried to bite people, but she still tries), and she was twice as big as those kids( 4 to 6 years old at the most). She really could have seriously hurt those kids, if one stuck a hand through the fence. When I caught the kids messing with her, I walked them home and spoke with their mother. She assured me, she'd keep them away, but within two hours they were back again. I repeated my warnings to the mother, she obviously was clueless to the danger. I made sure to emphasize that the dogs will bite, and could hospitalize the kids. The next day, I saw their grandfather outside, and spoke with him. He got the message instantly, and he told me the kids had no business playing at the vacant house, and that if I saw the kids there again to tell him (not his clueless daughter). He took care of the problem, and the kids never played there again.
Sometimes you can work out your problems with communication. If the first person you speak with doesn't understand your issues, try someone else in the house. Be sure to emphasize that the boy could feed the dogs something that would require treatment by a vet, and that if that happens, you will be sending them the bill for the treatment for damaging your property (in this case the dogs). If that doesn't work, check into your local laws and ordininces and see if the boy reaching into your yard could be considered a form of trespassing, and what actions you can take if any. Or you could buy one of those underground dog fences. It would create the barrier you want, and it would not be offensive to or require any involvement of the neighbors. You could place the underground fence far enough away from the boy's yard, that the dogs couldn't reach the boy. That way the dogs could still have the freedom of the rest of your yard. Good luck, Amy, I hope it all works out for the best.
pap64 wrote:
Today, he managed to get out of the house, so I followed him into the neighbor's yard and was able to catch him. He was very upset so he put his claws on me like there was no tomorrow.
- Garfield doesn't have his shots, meaning that he could get any disease, especially rabies, from other characters
- He hasn't been neutered yet, so I don't want him creating more stray kittens
- The streets are very busy and could get killed
Can you blame me for being protective?
Just some thoughts I had while reading your post:
1. How did he manage to get out, and does he often escape? Maybe you could use a baby gate or something so he (and the other cats) can't get out when you don't want them out?
2. I'm assuming that you don't want Garfield to be an outdoor cat, just an indoor cat, since you said he doesn't have his shots? Have you talked to the vet...has the vet said that he doesn't need those shots? Shots are super-important. Some shots are really only for animals that spend time outside or with other animals. I was just at the vet a couple days ago, and the vet recommended some shots that we hadn't given them, like one to prevent them getting "kennel cough" from other dogs, since we often bring them to the dog park. You might want to mention to your vet that your cat sometimes ends up outside, is there a shot he should get to prevent illness. If he ends up eating another animal's poop or something, he could get ill. And the rabies shot, I think, is extremely important. In case he gets in contact with an animal that has rabies, which can happen if he gets outside, he could bite someone and give them rabies, or he could just get sick. I would advise you to talk with your vet about the shots.
3. Why isn't he neutered? I'm a big supporter of getting animals fixed. There are just so many animals without homes, it's really sad. It doesn't cost that much money to do, and it's a one-time deal!
4. As far as the streets being busy and he could get killed, that's another reason why you should use a baby gate or something to make sure that he and the other cats dont get outside.
I am extremely overprotective of my dogs, so I definitely understand you being protective. At the same time, though, you don't want Garfield to get sick or hurt due to not having shots...I'm honestly very concerned about his health!
Dan wrote:I wouldn't write them a letter or anything. But if you catch the kid feeding the dogs again, I would definitley make sure to let the neighbors know that if it continues, there will be trouble.
I was just talking with a friend a minute ago, and she gave me the link to a website that has foods you shouldn't feed dogs. I have been on that site before, and we thought that maybe printing out the list and giving it to the neighbors would be a good idea. I don't know if the candy he fed Harry was chocolate or not...maybe I should write in "all candy". I just don't want him feeding my dogs at all.
CJ, the other adult in the house, the boy's dad (I'm assuming that's who he is), wasn't there when the feeding happened, so maybe I could talk to him next time he's outside (without the other 2 adults around), and let him know what happened. Since I don't know how they felt after my outburst (I didn't swear at them, just about them and Bobby to Bobby), I really feel like I'd rather not talk to them. That same friend I mentioned above said that maybe I should get some fencing privacy slats, which I guess just get installed over your existing fence. They don't seem extremely expensive, and that way we could prevent the boy's fingers from coming in our yard (I just had the thought of the boy trying to put his fingers through and getting them stuck and cry...I'm horrible, but maybe he would learn not to stick his finger through fences anymore... ) Another friend suggested that I let them know why I don't want him feeding my dogs, because maybe they just don't know any better. If I let them know that my dogs could get sick, then maybe they'll understand. If I get in one of my angry moods again, maybe I should play the "I'll give you my medical bill if my dogs get sick" card, like what you mentioned!
My friend is going to the hardware store today anyway, and she said that she can ask them about the fencing privacy slats, so maybe that would be the way to go... Usually I surpress my temper, but I just can't help it if people continually do stupid, harmful things. I'm just worried, I guess, that if I try to talk to those people, I'll yell and swear at them. I'm really not a loud person at all, so people who aren't in my family haven't experienced "wrathful Amy", but believe me, it's true.
I hope that they won't be revengeful or anything, and maybe I could print out that list of foods not to feed dogs and use that as something to talk over, like say to the neighbors, "Here's a list of foods that you should never feed dogs because they can kill the dogs. I'm not planning on letting my dogs near the fence anymore, because even though you have said that your son won't feed the dogs, you're not him and he still might do it. I'm thinking of getting privacy screens on the fence, so your son cannot put his hands through the fence to feed the dogs. My dogs are like my kids, and I don't want them to get sick due to someone else feeding them who shouldn't be feeding them."
That has a good mixture of niceness and angriness, I think...
pap64 wrote:
Today, he managed to get out of the house, so I followed him into the neighbor's yard and was able to catch him. He was very upset so he put his claws on me like there was no tomorrow.
- Garfield doesn't have his shots, meaning that he could get any disease, especially rabies, from other characters
- He hasn't been neutered yet, so I don't want him creating more stray kittens
- The streets are very busy and could get killed
Can you blame me for being protective?
Just some thoughts I had while reading your post:
1. How did he manage to get out, and does he often escape? Maybe you could use a baby gate or something so he (and the other cats) can't get out when you don't want them out?
2. I'm assuming that you don't want Garfield to be an outdoor cat, just an indoor cat, since you said he doesn't have his shots? Have you talked to the vet...has the vet said that he doesn't need those shots? Shots are super-important. Some shots are really only for animals that spend time outside or with other animals. I was just at the vet a couple days ago, and the vet recommended some shots that we hadn't given them, like one to prevent them getting "kennel cough" from other dogs, since we often bring them to the dog park. You might want to mention to your vet that your cat sometimes ends up outside, is there a shot he should get to prevent illness. If he ends up eating another animal's poop or something, he could get ill. And the rabies shot, I think, is extremely important. In case he gets in contact with an animal that has rabies, which can happen if he gets outside, he could bite someone and give them rabies, or he could just get sick. I would advise you to talk with your vet about the shots.
3. Why isn't he neutered? I'm a big supporter of getting animals fixed. There are just so many animals without homes, it's really sad. It doesn't cost that much money to do, and it's a one-time deal!
4. As far as the streets being busy and he could get killed, that's another reason why you should use a baby gate or something to make sure that he and the other cats dont get outside.
I am extremely overprotective of my dogs, so I definitely understand you being protective. At the same time, though, you don't want Garfield to get sick or hurt due to not having shots...I'm honestly very concerned about his health!
The reason he hasn't been neutered or gotten his shots is money. I am unemployed and the vet charges an eye and a leg for even the basic treatment. And its very rare for clinics to visit town and charge 20 bucks for it.
As for escaping, if he escapes its because he found a tiny hole he could use for his advantage. What happened yesterday was that the screen was a little bit open, enough for him to grab it with his paw and pull, allowing him to escape.
Amy , I deal with kids all the time, and I think the only way to persuade them not to do something, is to reprimend them and make a silly story like :
"If you feed my dogs candy, they will get sick, and eventually die, and when they do, the policeman will take you to jail where the dog's ghosts will haunt you for the rest of your life. So whatever you do, do not feed them."
I figured that it was probably due to money, pap64, but I just wanted to ask. I hope your kitty will be safe and healthy!
Even if I said that, Ahmed, I'm not guaranteed that he won't feed the dogs. I think we'll end up putting screens on our fences so the boy can't feed Harry through the fence. I just hope he doesn't resort to throwing food over the fence.
For those of you who haven't heard the story, I had been on the website of the rescue group where we adopted Harry and Sally. They aren't currently taking any more dogs, due to not having enough foster homes (they don't use a kennel). That got me thinking that I'd be a "failed" foster mom, since I'd probably get attached to the dog, if I fostered one, and adopt him or her. So, that got me thinking that I would like a third dog, if it's the right dog. Then, I started volunteering at the SPCA, and on my first orientation day, I met Oliver, the hound. He was scared, but when I put my hand for him to smell me, he wasn't shaking anymore. I felt like I had bonded with him! I asked about him during my second volunteer day, and got some more information on him. Bobby didn't necessarily want a third dog...he kept on flip-flopping, and giving me different reasons why (money was a big one). But we made a deal (I'll be using half of my allowance money to cover Oliver's vet visits, and I have to spend my free time looking for a job and doing chores, etc.).
Which brings me to...
I just adopted Oliver!!!! He and Harry and Sally all get along well- I'm so pleased!!! He's such a sweet dog. I'll post pictures later on- I can't find the camera right now.
*edit*
So, I gave Harry & Sally half of a little biscuit. I tried giving one to Oliver, but he didn't want it. I threw it out in the bathroom trash (where the dogs don't go), since he got it wet and I didn't want to put it back in the box. Harry & Sally probably thought that he was weird for passing up a biscuit, and they just finished barking at him. He's a very chill, nice dog, though, so he didn't seem to mind too much. He probably thinks that his brother and sister are weird, too!
*edit again*
I thought that Sally was done barking at Oliver...it's better than her growling at him!
). I thought about buying some cans of wet food and mixing just a little of that in with their kibbles, so they'll eat it, but Bobby thinks that they'll always want the wet food- I don't see how it'll hurt if we give them just a little wet food to make them eat their kibble. Or, I'm thinking about opening a can of vegetables, and putting a few pieces of peas or corn or green beans in their dishes, so that they'll eat. 
(edit- I think they like the catepillar the best...I don't think they're as interested when he's not on screen...)
) Another friend suggested that I let them know 
OMG this kid would really, really, piss me off if he did that.